Book Review by James Holland
We are honored that historian, author, and broadcaster, James Holland, has reviewed the “Richard Eager” book.
Richard Eager is a compelling account by a remarkable man. Few bomber pilots in World War II flew as many missions and survived to tell the tale, which makes Colonel Richard E. Evans’ story all the more extraordinary.
Serving first with the famed 99th Bomb Group in the Mediterranean and then as General Montgomery’s personal pilot, his lengthy wartime flying career saw him not only meet many key commanders—and a King—but also brought him face-to-face with no small amount of danger and close shaves.
The book also offers a rare and valuable insight into Monty’s character – one that has often been vilified but which emerges as more sympathetic here. These adventures alone would have been enough to fill a book, but Evans then returned to combat operations and completed fifty-four combat missions with the 99th from Foggia in Italy, before finally retraining on the B-29 Superfortress at the end of the war.
It’s a vivid, engaging and utterly fascinating memoir of an extraordinary and unquestionably unique wartime career.
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About James Holland
James Holland is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning historian, writer, and broadcaster. He has authored a number of best-selling histories including Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege, Battle of Britain, Dam Busters, and most recently, Brothers in Arms and The Savage Storm. He has presented – and written – a large number of television programs and series, including the BBC’s The Battle for Malta.
He is Chair of the Chalke Valley History Festival, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a Research Fellow at Swansea University.
Bobbie, Mike Peters (left), and James Holland (right) stand in front of Malta Memorial, a war memorial monument to the 2,298 Commonwealth aircrew who lost their lives in the various WWII air battles and engagements around the Mediterranean, whilst serving with the Commonwealth Air Forces and flying from bases in Austria, Italy, Sicily, islands of the Adriatic and Mediterranean, Malta, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, West Africa, Yugoslavia and Gibraltar, and who have no known grave. [Photo credit: Stuart Bertie, Malta, May 16, 2023]
Further Articles
Barbara (“Bobbie”) Evans Kinnear, daughter of Colonel Richard Ernest Evans, joins historian and author, James Holland, on his podcast, “We Have Ways of Making You Talk”